Entertainment Columns
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Pixar scores a modest marvel in romantic, opposites-attract comical fantasy 'Elemental'Jun 15, 2023 5:00 am - “Elemental” - ★ ★ ★ Charming. Delightful. Spectacularly stunning. “Elemental” clearly belongs on Pixar's periodic table of animated features, right down to the bubbling ...
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'Tommy' revisited: Goodman Theatre reimagines The Who's rock tuner 30 years after Broadway debutJun 09, 2023 6:00 am - Rock tuner re-imagined Rock legend Pete Townshend and acclaimed director Des McAnuff, the creators of "The Who's Tommy," which premiered on Broadway 30 years ago, reunit...
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Show time: Park Ridge teen makes Steppenwolf debut in 'Another Marriage'Jun 08, 2023 6:00 am - It was the day after her Steppenwolf Theatre callback, and Nicole Scimeca was worried. After working steadily for about 10 years, the 15-year-old actress had no project...
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Widescreen: 'Willow' and Jeff Goldblum disappear; Nolan's latest on 70 mmJun 07, 2023 11:00 pm - David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery started the alarming, money-saving trend of removing exclusive content from streaming platforms last year when shows including "Wes...
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Spotlight: Naperville's BrightSide Theatre stages Broadway fave 'Gypsy'Jun 02, 2023 6:00 am - Everything's comin' up Rose Amy Arbizzani of Naperville stars as Mama Rose, the ferociously ambitious stage mother determined to make her daughters vaudeville stars, in ...
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Widescreen: Physical media gems for fans of John Hughes, Stephen King, Ridley ScottJun 01, 2023 6:00 am - The streaming era still has delightful surprises for fans of physical media from time to time, thanks mostly to specialty labels like Criterion, Shout Factory, Arrow Vid...
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Tribute to love: Oil Lamp delivers affectionate, intimate 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'May 31, 2023 2:00 pm - “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change” - ★ ★ ★ Oil Lamp Theater chose well in selecting as its first musical “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change,” the breezy, gent...
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'Boogeyman' an atmospherically overwrought, suspense-challenged collection of easy scares, moldy clichesMay 31, 2023 6:00 am - “The Boogeyman” - ★ ★ “The Exorcist” director William Friedkin famously observed that the scariest thing in a horror film is a closed door. The scariest thing in Rob Sa...
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Widescreen: Essential podcasts tackle Oscar snubs, Kurt Cobain's most iconic songMay 26, 2023 6:00 am - A monthlong change in format for "This Had Oscar Buzz" - a podcast that normally examines a high-profile movie that received zero Oscar nominations - has resulted in a h...
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Spotlight: Cirque du Soleil brings 'Corteo' to Hoffman Estates' NOW ArenaMay 26, 2023 6:00 am - Cirque in the 'burbs Cirque du Soleil returns to Chicago for the first time in four years with its production of "Corteo." The show, which last played here in 2006, feat...